Tent-fastening



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet '1.

I. J. RINN. TENT FASTENING.-

No. 528,391. 7 Patented'OCt. so, 1894.

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, J. J. RINN.

TENT FASTENING.

No. 528,391. Patented Oct. 30; 1894.

a HR 5 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFIGE.

JAMES J. RINN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

,TENT-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,391, dated October 30, 1894. Application filed October 16, 1893. Serial No. 488,293. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. RINN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Tent-Fastenin gs; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. I

My invention relates to a device for closing and fastening the ends of tents.

It consists in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a view of my device applied to a tent. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of tent pole and flap strip showing knobs closing handle and guide. Fig. 3 shows the returning spring of the knob shank. Figs. 4 and 5 show the tent with a portion removed to show the means for securing one side of the front to the tent pole. Fig. 6 is an'enlarged vertical section of the tent pole, flap strip and lock.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for securely closing the flaps of a tent and securing the same so as to make them weather tight, at the same time making it easily opened from either end whenever desired.

In the ordinary construction of tents, the front through which entrance andegress are obtained, is made with two over-lapping flaps, having strings by which they are tied when it is desired to close the tent. These do not close it sufficiently to make it weather tight, especially in cold weather, and in case of wind the front of the tent is more or less violently blown to and fro when it is closed. My attachment allows both ends to be made to open, and either or both may be opened or closed as the weather makes desirable, both being weather-proof when closed.

In my invention, A is the end of the tent having the flaps B B. The edgesof these flaps are turned over to make a pocket or casing of considerable size into each of which is fitted a strip of wood 0 which extends fromthe bottom up tothe point where the two flaps are joined. A band a of suitable material is fastened to the inside at the top of the outer pocket, and is secured to the tent pole to hold this part closely against the tent pole D. The strips 0 hold the edges of the flaps perfectly rigid, and enable them to be fittedclosely together and against the front of the .tent pole D. They are retained in the pockets by small straps or strings and are removable to allow the tent .to be folded, and all projectingparts hereinafter described are also removable from the strips 0 so that the latter can be readily tied up with the tent poles. In the presentcase, I have shown the inner-flap arranged to fold partially around the vertical tent pole, and it may be fastened in place as shown in Fig. 4 by means of socket loops E and F.

The loop E at the bottom is of sufficient size to allow the bottom of the strip 0 which is fitted into the edge of the inner flap to be inserted into it. Theloop F at the upper end is set at an inclination, as shown, so that the upper end of the strip may be inserted into it, and the strip is thus held snugly against the side of the pole, the canvas of the flap wrapping partially around the pole as shown.

In order to retain the parts in place, a hole is made through the strip and into the tent pole, and a pin G is inserted-therein, thus locking the whole securely holding the front edge to one flap of the tent straight, and keeping it in position.

If preferred, the inner strip 0' may be dispensed with, and the inner edge of the canvas secured to the tent pole by hooks and rings as shown in Fig. 5. The other flap of the tent extends down alongside the outer front of the tent pole, fitting snugly against the outer portion of the inner flap. In order to secure the two together and at the same time to enable the occupants to easily open or close the flap, a hole is made through the tent pole having a sleeve or socket H fitted therein, and a corresponding hole is made in line with it through the outer strip 0 which is fitted into the edge of the outer flap of the tent.

I is a shaft passing through the outer strip 0 and entering the socket sleeve H as shown, when the flap is closed. This shaft has a knob J upon the outer end, and is secured to a sleeve H by a pin or cotter passing through thetwo as shown inFig. 6. The sleeve H has a flange or collar of larger diameter which fits in a channel in the casing K through which it passes. This casing is permanently fixed to the strip 0, and the knob shaft and sleeve turn with it. The knob and shaft are removed by drawing the pin when the parts are to be packed, so that the strips and tent poles will lie closely together, and depressions may be made in some of the tent poles to receive the projecting casings, when the parts are tied up.

Within the casing is a spring L, one end of which is secured to the casing and the other to the sleeve 11', so that when the shaft is turned in one direction, it will move the spring, and when it is released the tension of the spring will act to turn the shaft backward, and return the knob shaft to its normal position.

The inner end of the shaft I has a notch M made in one side, and a pawl N is pivoted in a suitable containing case which is mortised into the tent pole and secured thereto as shown. This pawl is acted upon byaspring O, and when the shaft is in its normal position, with the notch nppermost,it will be engaged and held by the pawl when the flap is closed together so as to introduce the shaft into the sleeve or socket, and this holds the flap permanently in place. lrVhenever it is desired to disengage the pawl from the knob it is only necessary to turn the latter until a smooth portion of the shaft is brought uppermost, when it can easily be drawn out of the sleeve or socket H, the flap turning back in the usual manner.

In order to separate the device from the inside, I have shown a similar shaft I having a knob J upon the inner end. This shaft passes through a sleeve I-I fitting within a casing K secured to the inner side of the tent pole in the same manner as described for the casing K, and having within it a spring L corresponding with the spring L upon the outer side and connected with the shaft so as to normally retain it in a certain position. The inner end of this shaft has a transverse slot made in it which fits a correspondingly shaped flattened edge formed on the inner end of the shaft I, so that when the tent flap is closed, this edge fits into the slot in the shaft 1', and thus allows the shaft I to be turned from the inside, and when the flap is drawn outward, the shaft I is readily disengaged from the shaft I. Within the shaft I is a sliding piece R which I call an ejector. This piece is acted upon by a spring S, and when the shaft I has been turned until the pawl is disengaged, the spring actuated ejector forces it outward until its notch M is beyond the pawl, and it is free to move out ward as soon as disengaged.

Any other suitable or convenient form of engagement for the inner ends of the two shafts may be employed, the result being essentially the same.

By this construction I am enabled to provide a convenient and easily operated fastening which will perfectly close the front of the tent, and at the same time allow it to be easily opened, either from one or both sides, as required.

If it is desired to additionally secure the bottom of the flap when but one end of the tent is open, it is done by means of hooks P attached to the lower end, adapted to engage with rings on stakes Q driven in the ground, as shown in Fig. 4:.

T is a handle fixed to the outer strip 0 and bent so as to pass inside the tent pole and be within convenient reach of a person inside. The handle serves to close the flap so that it can be secured. The handle has a guideplate U which fits a groove or channel across the side of the tent pole, and this causes the shaft I to accurately enter the opening in the tent pole when the outer flap is closed from the inside.

The present case covers broadly a tent having pockets in the edges of its entrance flaps, rigid strips in the pockets and locking devices for securing the strips, while the pending cases, Serial No. 509,682, filed May 1, 1894:, and Serial No. 507,761,1iled April 16, 1894:, by me distinguish from this case by claims limited to improvements additional to the construction shown in this case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a tent having its end wall provided with an entrance opening of a pole to which one edge of the tent is secured, a strip secured to the other or movable edge of the tent and adapted to overlie the outer face of the pole, and a fastening for removably securing the said strip to the pole, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a tent having its end wall divided into two flaps to form an entrance, of a vertical tent pole about which the edge of the stationary flap is wrapped; the said flap being provided with a strip 0 the ends of which engage sockets or fastenings on said pole, a rigid strip 0 secured to the vertical edge of the movable flap or fly, and adapted to overlie the outer face of the stationary [lap and its pole, and a fastening extending through the said strip 0, and the said tent pole, and adapted to be operated from the inside or the outside of the tent when the movable flap is to be opened, substantially as herein described.

3. A fastening for tent flaps, consisting of rigid strips fixed to the flaps, one of said strips being permanently secured to the tent pole, a socket passing through the tent pole having a spring-actuated pawl fitted therein, a knob shank passing through the rigid strip of the outer flap rotatable therein and having a notch on the inner end adapted to be engaged by the pawl when the flap is closed, substantially as herein described.

4:. The rigid strips fixed to the flaps of a tent, the inner one being permanently attached to the tent pole, a socket passing through the tent pole having a spring-actuated pawl therein, a knob shank connected with the rigid strip of the outer flap adapted to enter the socket and having a notch which engages the pawl when the flap is closed, a spring connected with the knob shank and holding it normally in position so that the notch will engage the pawl, said spring yielding when the knob is turned so as to allow the shank to be turned until the notch is disengaged from the pawl for the purpose of opening the tent flap, substantially as herein described.

5. The vertical strips fixed to the inner edges of the tent flaps, one of said strips being fixed to the tent pole, a socket passing through the tent pole having a spring actuated pawl therein, an outer and rotatable knob shank connected with the strip of the outer flap and having a notch adapted to engage the pawl when the flap is closed, and the shank inserted into the socket piece, a corresponding shank extending through the inner side of the tent pole having a knob upon it, the ends of the two shanks being so formed as to engage each other whereby the notch shank may be turned by a knob upon either the outer or inner shank, and the shanks disengaged when the outer flap is opened or engaged when it is closed so as to operate together, and springs surrounding the shanks and yielding when either of the knobs are turned to disengage the catch, and returning the notched shank to a position to be engaged by the pawl when released.

6. The combination with a tent having a stationary and an entrance flap or fly at one end, the vertical edge 'of the stationary flap being wrapped about and secured to said pole, a rigid strip removably secured to the vertical edge of the removable or entrance-forming flap to swing therewith and overlie the pole, and a two part separable fastening connectin g the said strip and pole, and operative from both sides of the tent, substantially as herein described.

7. A fastening for tent flaps consisting of. rigid strips fixed to the flaps, one of said strips being permanently secured to the tent pole, a locking device, and knobs by which it is operated to open or close the movable flap, and a handle and guide-plate U by which the parts are brought into line when the outer flap is closed.

8. A fastening for tent flaps consisting of rigid strips attached to the vertical edges of the flap, devices for locking the flaps independently to the tent pole, and a band a by which the meeting angles of the flaps are secured to the tent pole independently of other fastenings.

9. A fastening for the front of tents, consisting of a rigid vertical strip secured to the outer flap, and means for fastening it to the tent pole, an extension of the inner flap adapted to fold about the tent pole, and fastenings by which it is secured thereto, whereby the pole serves to support the tent, and as a rigid strip for the inner flap.

10. A tent having an entrance opening, rigid strips held within pockets formed in the canvas or other material of the tent along both edges of the opening, and a fastening means for securing both strips to close the opening, substantially as set forth.

11. A tent having an end pole and end flaps, pockets formed in said end flaps, stifiening pieces in said. pockets, and locking devices for securing said stifiening pieces to the pole, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES J. RINN.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG, S. H. NOURSE. 

